Secret Weapons

10.06.124:45 AM ET

Best James Bond Gadgets from Goldfinger, Octopussy & More (Video)

Along with beautiful cars and dangerous women, his trademark “shaken, not stirred” drink order and his iconic self-introduction (“Bond, James Bond”), Agent 007’s futuristic gadgets are a staple of the pre-Daniel Craig James Bond films. See 10 of the best, most useful, and sometimes weirdest tools ever used in the films.

It’s been 50 years since Ian Fleming’s James Bond burst onto the screen in Dr. No in all of his tuxedoed, womanizing, Sean Connery glory. Since then, steel-jawed villains have been vanquished, Aston Martins have been demolished, and, most awesomely, a ton of hyper-futuristic, life-saving (and sometimes hilariously absurd) gadgets have been used by both Agent 007 and his foes. Here we pick 10 of the best.

Jet Pack in Thunderball (1965)

In 1965’s Thunderball, after breaking the evil Col. Jacques Bouvar’s neck with a fire poker, Connery-as-Bond escapes some surviving lackeys by taking flight in the utterly coolest way possible—with a jetpack. Never mind that it appears to go no faster than 15 miles an hour, is deafeningly loud, and kicks up more dust than a pack of rampaging horses—it fits conveniently into the trunk of your car!

Oddjob’s Bowler Hat in Goldfinger (1964)

After dispatching one of his own cowardly henchmen by pushing him over a railing, Goldfinger villain Oddjob sets his sights—and his bowler hat—on Bond. The hat’s brim concealed a razor-sharp metal disc and slices through stone, wires, metal, and even a person’s neck.

Cigarette Rocket in You Only Live Twice (1967)

This Bond gadget kills enemies and helps end cancer! Bond is introduced to a special brand of cigarette in this scene that, when lit, launches a rocket up to 30 yards. Cigarettes and cigarette cases have a special place in the Bond gadget universe—they’ve been used to detonate explosives, assemble microfilm readers, unleash stun gas, and help assemble the eponymous golden gun (see below) from 1974’s The Man with the Golden Gun.

“Little Nellie” in You Only Live Twice (1967)

And you thought the jetpack that fit in your trunk was convenient. Sean Connery gets to pilot this Wallis WA-116 Series 1 gyroplane, a.k.a. “Little Nellie,” and, when he’s done, disassemble it to fit into several small cases. While it’s up in the air though, Little Nellie packs quite the flame-throwing, rocket-launching, machine-gunning punch.

Golden Gun in The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)

The iconic golden gun that Francisco Scaramanga used in The Man with the Golden Gun only shoots a single bullet and takes too long to assemble to be of any use in a real fight—but look at how shiny it is! The gun’s handle is a cigarette case, attached to a lighter that serves as a firing chamber, a pen that serves as barrel, and a trigger made from a cuff link. And it shoots 24-karat gold.

Wrist Dart Gun in Moonraker (1979)

The James Bond of the Roger Moore era faced down Hugo Drax with a special trick up his sleeve—literally. Caught weaponless and staring down the barrel of Drax’s gun, Bond raises his hands in apparent defeat—then launches a dart straight into Drax’s heart from a small, secret gun strapped onto his wrist.

Crocodile Motorboat in Octopussy (1983)

The only Bond gadget that could ever top the wetsuit with a duck attached to its head, Agent 007’s crocodile-shaped mini motorboat helps him get to the island where the movie’s titular femme fatale lies in wait.

Seiko Wristwatch & Montblanc Fountain Pen in Octopussy (1983)

Q had more to offer James Bond in Octopussy than animal-shaped transportation, however. In this scene, he also introduces a Seiko wristwatch that contains a radio direction finder. The radio device works in conjunction with a homing device and an earpiece hidden inside a Montblanc fountain pen—handy for listening and spying purposes. And should you feel the need to instantly dissolve any kind of metal, the pen also conveniently packs a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acid!

The Ericsson phone that Q issues to Pierce Brosnan’s Bond may look outdated now—but does your iPhone include a fingerprint scanner, a 20,000-volt stun gun and a remote control for your BMW 750i? We didn’t think so.